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1. You’ve written mostly for adults. What inspired you to write for children?
My first book for children ‘Mitti Ki Gaadi’ emerged not out of inspiration, but from a challenge. I grew up reading a lot of children’s literature, but never attempted to write for children. Years later, ‘Mitti Ki Gaadi’ emerged from a dare. And then I kept on going. Not all writing springs from inspiration. Stories emerge from conflict, crisis, despair and even dreams.
2. Writing for adults and children – is it a different experience and process? How has it been for you?
Yes, writing for children is different, both in terms of content and process. The language needs to be simple, shorter sentences and words from everyday life. The imagination needs to be expanded. Imagery from the child’s world need to be presented. For adults, the subjects range freely from the ugliness of society, its deformities, to its fall into depravity. We write about politics, religion and the difficulties of human relationships. Even if we address these topics for children, we couch them in idealism. For me, writing for children has always been challenging and hence enjoyable. Since children carry the seeds of tomorrow, I feel connected to the future when I write for them.
3. Have you seen a change in the nature and trends in children’s literature in Hindi?
Yes, there’s been a lot of change. Earlier, the aim was to ‘condition’ children. Preaching, sermonising, and the so-called idealised characters were the foundation. Or else kings, fairies, monsters, flowers and birds. The tough realities and ugliness of life and society were not presented to children. Now, all that is not hidden from children, it is a part of children’s literature. I like to introduce children to these subtle experiences through my writing. I don’t wish to merely entertain or play on language, I become a part of their consciousness. Other than that, printing, design and illustration in children’s literature have also improved a lot.
4. ‘Nachghar’ is a popular novel in Hindi children’s literature. What inspired you to write it and what was the process like?
‘Nachghar’ was also written as a challenge – the challenge of writing a romance for children. It is not at all tough to write a love story for adults. But there were many restrictions and constraints while writing one for children. ‘Nachghar’ is an inter-religious romance. Language, dialogue, adolescent experiences and characters from two different religions – I had to master all that. It took me a year to get all that right. I got a lot of satisfaction and pleasure from writing it.
5. You’ve written five books for children – novel, short stories. What was it like to write these different stories?
I’ve been writing on different themes and genres for a long time. The journey has been pleasant because of various milestones. Because writing history, novels and stories involves different processes, moving between these genres keeps you vigorous and fresh. My first book of history for children was about travellers to India and their accounts and travelogues. This was new for me. To be able to write, I had to read a lot about these travellers. My novel took a whole year to write. To live with the two characters for a year and re-think dialogues was a new experience. I had to go back in age to experience the love shared by two adolescents. My short stories are about minute and subtle experiences. These filtered impressions would have been lost otherwise.
6. How do we create a reading culture in Hindi?
Teachers and parents can do this. By giving children books, talking to them about books and by creating a library at home. Most parents don’t allow children to read anything beyond textbooks. If a child tries writing poetry, parents become anxious. Computers and mobiles have made things worse. It’s an illusion that the digital world has promoted or enabled reading. A reading culture can be created only with books. To encourage children to read, parents and teachers must be readers themselves. How our education system is destroying reading is a subject for deep discussion.
7. How do awards help in promoting children’s literature?
Certainly awards play a role. Firstly, awards create a space and give authority to children’s literature. Within literature, beyond genres, an award creates a special presence and category for children’s literature. It creates value for the writing and reading of children’s literature. It encourages the writing of good literature, wonderful illustrations and excellent design quality for children’s books.
8. How do you feel about being awarded the Parag Author Prize 2025?
Very good, more so because it is for my children’s books. It recognises work which I started very late. For me it is bigger than any other award because it brings acceptance and approval for my place in the luminous world of children.
